Summer projects often receive mixed opinions among students and teachers alike. There is an ongoing debate on whether these summer projects should be teacher-designed or student-designed. Those who disagree may state that summer projects should be teacher-designed because it leads to more efficiency and ensures the project follows specific required guidelines, but this is not the case. Although some may state summer projects should be designed by teachers, it should be known that student-designed summer projects would be better.

Student-designed projects allow students to better apply themselves. For example, students would be practicing for a future of independence, where they would be the main person dictating what their work should reflect. Students would have to practice planning ahead to ensure their work reflects their full potential, rather than rushing into work and creating something sub par. Another positive related to student-planned projects is that students would be more prepared for future experiences. Students would have an opportunity to lightly touch on skills required throughout adulthood and outside of school. They would be practicing time management as they plan for their project within their own schedule. Students would also be practicing self-reliance as their project would be fully based on their own efforts. Further, a student-designed project would reflect the student by what work they present. By choosing what they create, the student's the effort and energy put into the project would be represented in their work. It also shows their own work ethic, as the quality of the project would highlight how much they valued completing the project in a well-reflected manner.

Student-designed projects can lead to work created in better quality than projects that are teacher-designed. For example, student-designed projects allow students to express their own creativity as they control the major factors that play into what makes up the project. Students would be choosing their own work, allowing them to more blatantly show their own ability through more preffered methods.

To extend on this, students would create better designed projects as they wouldn't feel pressured to follow an exact guideline to receive a high-scoring grade. Student-designed projects would allow more room for students to seek different opportunities to express themselves through their work. The lack of pressure could also mean the project would be overall more enjoyable for the student to complete, as it would be based off their own ideas and planning.

Finally, a student-designed project would mean more reflection over one's own work, as the basis of the project would be in their own hands. The added control would result in more unique work from each student, encouraging students to complete their own work as many variables of the project would already be based on their own ideas. Student-designed projects would mean self-evaluation of one's own work, allowing the student to decide for theirself if their work is up to standards based on their own ability, rather than an exact outline that may feel like a barrier.

Although some may state that it is better for teachers to design summer projects, it is actually better for these projects to be student-designed. This is the case due to students being more creative, effective, and independent in their own work as they control the factors that make up their project. Those who believe it is better for teachers to design summer projects may state that set guidelines ensure the project is done efficiently and makes sure that it is done right, but this is not true. This is an ongoing debate due to these projects being one of the major sources of academic stimulation for many students during the summer, which leads back to the idea that students should design their own summer projects as it would add many individual benefits during this time period.